RecruitAuto.ie welcomes unemployment figures – now below 10 per cent

RecruitAuto.ie, Ireland’s specialist auto industry recruitment portal, has welcomed the news from the latest official employment figures from the Central Statistics Office, showing that 104,600 extra jobs have been created since the start of 2012 when the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs was launched.

In February 2012 the Government set a target of creating 100,000 additional jobs by end 2016, so this morning’s news means that this target has been hit almost two years early.

The figures for Q1 2015 published today also show that the unemployment rate has hit 9.8%, the first time it has dipped below 10% since January 2009.

The figures published today also show: 41,300 extra jobs were created in the past 12 months. This is followed by the recent trend, where all of the extra job-creation has been full-time, with part-time work decreasing by 10,800 in the year (full-time employment has increased by 52,100 over the past year).

However, RecruitAuto.ie recommends that employers throughout the auto industry recruit to suit their circumstance and taylor plans to their precise requirements. That said, the overwhelming growth in positions being filled throughout the auto trade are full-time, with staffing numbers carefully increasing as business grows and as customer service levels demand.

The figures also show that 10 of 14 economic sectors are showing jobs growth over the past year, with particularly strong results in construction (19,800) and industry (8,200). The unemployment rate has decreased in every region of the country since the Action Plan for Jobs was launched. And crucially, long-term unemployment has declined by 29,000 over the past year

Speaking today, Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation said: “Every job created is a life back on track, a family improved, a community enhanced. It is also job-creation that allows us to grow tax revenues and ultimately improve services and cut taxes, and that is why we have made employment our very top priority.

“When in early 2012 we launched the Action Plan for Jobs and set the ambition of creating 100,000 extra jobs by end 2016, many people criticised us for being too ambitious. However with workers, businesses and Government working together, we have carefully implemented our plan. Today’s official figures from the Central Statistics Office showing that 104,600 extra jobs have been created since we launched the Action Plan for Jobs is an important milestone, and gives us confidence that the plan is working.

“However there are still many people around the country who are not yet feeling the benefits yet, and there is still a long way to go before we can say we have replaced all the jobs that were lost, before we can attract young emigrants home in large numbers, before we can have jobs available for all the unemployed. Today’s news is an important milestone which gives us confidence that the plan is working, but we must keep our eyes on the prize, and continue carefully implementing the policies necessary to deliver sustainable full employment by 2018”.